9 Days Until They're Dead
by Red Curtains
Summary: There's murder in Alvarna, and no one has any clue who or what is doing these killings... But it seems to be someone the victims know... But the killer won't stop until he gets what he wants, and what he wants is...
1. Chapter 1

It happened so fast that she didn't have time to yell, or scream, or even gasp. The knife, covered in her blood, fell to the grassy ground, barely making a sound. She fell moments after the knife, her lifeless body slumped like a puppet with its strings cut.

The man fled the scene just in time. Some movement a few feet from the two of them scared him away. A tall girl with tumbled pink curls and a giant witch hat stepped out from behind a tree.

She came across the girl's body and let out a scream. She covered her mouth with her hands and quickly dropped to her knees.

"Mana?! MANA!! Oh my God...Oh my God..." The girl was in hysterics now, hot wet tears pouring from her eyes.

She screamed again, and in a flurry of tears, screeched and screeched until she was red in the face. When no one responded, she collapsed in a heap of sobs beside her friend, unable to move...unable to think...

* * *

End of Chapter 1

Yes it's short; don't blame me for that, all the chapters will be short. Review if you want to, I honestly don't care.


	2. Chapter 2

_"Miss? We need you to wake up, please."_

All Alicia could hear were buzzing sounds in her ear. All she could think was that her best friend...Mana...she was...she was dead...

"Miss..."

The fortune-teller finally opened her eyes and was greeted by three burly men in police uniforms.

"Miss, you are Alicia Kinnick, correct?" asked the tallest of the three, holding a stack of papers.

"Where's Mana?" demanded Alicia immediately, looking around. She realized that she wasn't in Alvarna anymore, but in a police station in who-knows-where.

"You have not answered the question. Are you Alicia Kinnick?" repeated the cop, his eyes boring into hers.

"Yes! Where is Mana and where am I?!" The fear-stricken girl slid off the chair she had been resting on and surveyed the bright white room for an exit.

"Miss Kinnick, please remain seated. We need to ask you some questions." instructed the squattest of the officers, directing her back to the chair.

Alicia attempted to protest, but the tall man intervened, "You were found at the scene of your best friend's murder, along with a knife that clearly had the victim's blood on it. How do you explain this?"

She blinked. "Are you implying that _I _was the one who-"

"No, ma'am, I'm just asking for the truth." replied the officer more calmly than Alicia liked.

"Me too! Where the hell is Mana?!" screamed Alicia, feeling the tears stream down her cheeks again. Truthfully, Alicia knew where Mana was. She was...

"Murdered..." she whispered, and pushed through the barrier of policemen and out inot an unknown town.

Eventually, she stumbled back into Alvarna. The half-crazed girl was greeted by her crying mother.

"Oh, Leesh! I'm so sorry..." her mother sobbed, giving her daughter a big squeeze.

"Mom, she was murdered! Someone....someone....they did this..." Alicia whispered in her mother's ear while choking back more tears. "They think...they think that _I _killed her!"

Natalie gasped. "Oh, honey..."

* * *

End of Chapter 2


	3. Chapter 3

Mana' funeral was held three days later. Alicia, Cecilia, and Douglas each made a speech,a dn by the tie they closed the coffin, the feeling of death and despair had already flooded the church.

Alicia left early. She couldn't take it anymore...She ran the minute she reached Cherry Blossom Square. The bence under the biggest tree sat there, looking forlorn; lost and forgotten. She took that as her refuge; her one place to be alone...to cry alone.

"Hello, Alicia!"

The teary-eyed fortune teller lifted her head at the sound of someone's voice.

She gasped violently and sprang to her feet the minute she saw the knife in his hand.

"You...?!?!?!?! _You _killed Mana?!?!?!?!" choked Alicia, backing up into the giant tree.

He merely smiled, took a step forward, and with a blood-curdling scream, it was over.

All over.

* * *

Within three days, Alicia Kinnick and Mana Gray were brutally stabbed to their death. The once-quiet town of Alvarna was now in an uproar.

The only two people who knew the real killer's identity were Mana and Alicia.

But of course..._they _couldn't tell.

* * *

End of Chapter 3


	4. Chapter 4

"J-julia...D-do you think, um...that the m-m-murderer will k-kill someone else?"

Dorothy Kimble, Julia Silver, and Rosalind de Sainte Coquille were huddled in Dorothy's room, discussing the murders, a common topic since Alicia's death.

Hardly anyone set foot outside alone, or at night. The town was in utter panic.

"I don't know, but I swear, when I find that...that bastard, I'm gonna kill him." growled Julia, clenching her fists and gritting her teeth.

"Julia...please promise us you won't! We can't have you....you know..." Rosalind pleaded, grabbing Julia's shoulder.

Suddenly, the door flew open and Cecilia burst into the room.

"You guys!!!!!!!" he panted, leaning against the wall and gasping for air. It looked as though she had run a mile straight without stopping.

"Ceci, what happened?!" asked Julia.

"I know who the killer is!!!" she breathed.

Julia, Rosalind, and Dorothy all gasped, and whisper-shouted in unison, "WHO?!"

Cecilia paused, then said all in one breath, "I'tsKyleandIknowit'shimbecauseIheardhimtalkingaboutwhowasgoingdownnext!!!!!"

There was nothing but silence for a while. The effect of Cecilia's accusation sunk into the three girl's minds and settled there.

Finally, Rosalind spoke in utter disbelief, "No. You're joking, right, Ceci? You've got to be joking. It's not Kyle, there's no way-"

"Do you have any proof?" interjected the half-elf, her eyes alit with dtermination.

"Do _you?_" countered Julia, stepping to Rosalind's defense.

Cecilia began to sniffle. "Why? Why don't you believe me? I _heard! _I heard him!"

Julia opened her mouth to say something, then decided against it and stepped backwards.

"Why d-don't we go and, um, s-see for ourselves if Kyle really is, um..." offered Dorothy.

Cecilia's face lit up. "Yeah! We could catch him!" She thanked Dorothy with her eyes and the shy girl nodded in response.

Rosalind, however, said warily, "No, you guys. Everyone in this town is in danger. Regardless if Kyle is or isn't the killer, we're still putting our lives on the line!"

Much to Rosalind's dismay, it seemed as though they were all going to go through with it anyway.

Julia smiled. _I will get my revenge. I know I will..._

* * *

End of Chapter 4


End file.
